Difficult Conversation Preparation
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Rehearse it, including the part where they react badly.
Tags: Career, Communication, Planning
Prompt template
# Rehearsing a hard conversation Work through this in four parts. Do not skip to the script. **1. The facts** - What is happening and its impact: [textarea: Behaviour and consequence, not character] - Specific examples with dates: [textarea: At least two] - Has it been raised before: [textarea: When, by whom, and what happened] **2. The person** - How they usually take feedback: [dropdown: Well, Defensively, Emotionally, Goes quiet, Counter-attacks, No idea] - Anything I know about their circumstances: [textarea: Context that might be relevant] **3. The outcome** - What has to change: [text: Specifically] - What I can offer: [textarea: Support, adjustments, time] **4. The constraints** - Process or legal considerations: [textarea: HR policy, contractual, or anything sensitive] Give me an opening that states the issue inside thirty seconds. Burying it makes the whole conversation worse and they will know something is coming anyway. Then play out three versions: they accept it, they deny it, they turn it back on me. Give me the actual words for each. Define what agreement looks like and what I write down afterwards. If any part of this needs HR involved before I open my mouth, say that first.